Contents

Model of Bioreporters in the Field

In Switzerland, we have obtained permission A120851-07 from the Federal Office of the Environment to use specific vials with caps with a self-sealing silicone septum to take the bacteria in the field. The following diagram is our current model of working with bioreporters to analyse water arsenic levels in the field.

We worked with EPFL Biosafety Office to present our project in Bern to obtain the GMO license to take the bioreporter in the field.

Our process was this:

Work with a (federally) certified institution (biosafety level 1) to construct the bioreporter

Work with the appropriate federal office to obtain a license to work with the biorerporters in the field

In the laboratory, prepare the bioreporters in the approved vials

Take the vials out in the field, introduce samples into the vials with the GMO bioreporters

Analysis in the field, or back in the community

All GMO wastes are properly disposed of (autoclaved) in the licensed institution

The approval was facilitated by the fact that ArsoLux's bioluminescent arsenic bioreporter had been approved by the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) and the State Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture of Saxony (SMUL). During an inspection by Department 55 (Bio- and Genetic Engineering, Chemicals (SMUL)), the ARSOlux team was able to ensure that the field test follows national standards and regulations. The conducted tests for environmental viability and others by ArsoLux are documented in this pdf from the ArsoLux site.

Containment

In order to deal with this issue of confinement, we use a vial having a silicon septum, thus allowing us to inject a water sample inside the vial containing the bioreporter while keeping the system confined. Indeed, the hole resorbs after the needle is retracted, thus leaving no room for contact between the environment and the GMO; this diagram illustrates this:

Here’s how this vial actually looks like:

This vial was chosen because of its confinement properties and because it has already been used in another similar project called ARSOlux which was approved by the German authorities. We’ll come back on how we used this as an important argument for the validation of our prototype by the Swiss authorities.

Extra care will be taken to avoid contact between the tip of the syringe and the bioreporter to avoid contamination of the syringe. After use, for safety reasons, the syringe is put in a syringe container like this one:

After the measurement of arsenic concentration, the cells in the vial are, at first, partially neutralized with alcohol before being brought back to the lab for destruction by autoclaving or inactivation by a hypochlorite solution.

Also, all manipulations with the vials containing the GMO are done over a retention tank to avoid any contamination of the environment if the vial would fall and break.

With all the aforementioned precautions taken, we can say that the use of our system is not considered to present a potential hazard to humans, animals and the environment.

Materials

Here’s a list of the elements you’ll need:

PK100 screw top clear vial 4ml Sigma Aldrich/Fluka: Vials containing the bio reporter in which we will transfer the water sample into.